Ethnicity and patterns of spondyloarthritis in South Africa - Analysis of 100 patients

Objective, To determine the spectrum and ethnic differences of spondyloarth ritis disease patterns in patients attending the Rheumatic Diseases Unit, U niversity of Cape Town. South Africa. Methods. A retrospective survey of case records of 100 patients with spondy loarthritis seen between January 1988 and January 1995. Results. Of these 100 patients, 71 were male, 53 were Colored [mixed race d escendants of Khoisan (Hottentot and Bushmen), Whites, Malays and Black Afr icans], 40 White, 5 Black and 2 Indian (descendents of immigrants from the Indian subcontinent). Our results show that the prevalence and disease patt erns of spondyloarthritis in this South African cohort are comparable to th ose seen in Europe and North America with respect to clinical and radiologi cal features, as well as therapeutic and orthopedic surgical requirements. No major ethnic differences in disease patterns were observed in Whits and Colored patients studied. Conclusion. The spectrum of spondyloarthritis in South Africa is similar to that seen elsewhere in the world. Our study confirmed the rarity of these conditions in Black South Africans.